The novel A Delusion of Satan written by Frances Hill describes the history of the Salem Witch Trials (“Salem”) in 1692, the causes and effects of the witch hysteria, and the biographies of major characters associated with the trials. In the novel, Hill started out explaining the Puritans’ beliefs and customs, the gender roles of men and women in Salem and why women were easily accused of being witches and practicing witchcraft in the 17th century. During that time, women were easily accused of practicing witchcraft because they were viewed as physically, politically and spiritually weaker than men. Men were perceived as the power, status, and worthy in the society, and they dominated women’s behavior and social status. In the 17th century, …show more content…
Rebecca was a 71-year-old woman, the wife of Francis Nurse who was a wealthy farmer and landlord in the Salem village, and had many children and grandchildren (Hill 87). She was very pious and everyone in the Salem village thought of her as an “exemplary piety” in the Puritan community (Linder). Rebecca had a very strong faith in God and told her friends on her sickbed that she recognized more God’s presence in her sickness than any other time in her life (Hill 88). Rebecca was a very respectable woman and supported by most of Salem villagers who believed in her innocence. After she was arrested and prosecuted because of the false accusations made by the “afflicted” women and girls’ against her, thirty-nine notable members of the community came forward, signed and submitted a petition to assure her innocence and piety (Hill 100). During the trials, even some active accusers and the magistrate were doubtful of her accusations because of her respectable reputation (Linder). Moreover, Rebecca was innocent because she never confessed to her accusation and responded, “I am innocent and God will clear my innocency” (Ray). Also, the first jury’s verdict on her of “Not Guilty” and the probation granted by Governor Phips that proved her innocence were purposely overturned by her rivals and accusers (Ray). In …show more content…
However, she was still accused of a witch because her outstanding reputation as “Puritan perfection” intimidated the supremacy of male in the Puritan society. Rebecca’s success and prosperity, and links to those opposed to the Putnams and Parris also provoked her opponents’ jealousy, anger and revenge, and caused her to be the victim of witch hunt (Hill 90-91). In Salem society, women were discriminated, expected to be no authority and wealth, and viewed as easier to be controlled by the devil and inferior to men (Mammone). Therefore, even though Rebecca was an innocent and respectable woman, she could not prevail over men in a male dominated society. As Whitney mentioned, the witch hunts occurred in the 17th century were due to the fears of women becoming “economically and psychological” independent, and threatening the male control of property and social order. Those women were viewed as “discontent” meaning the refusal of accepting their predetermined social status (Whitney 85). In contrast, men who had high authority and social status like the Putmans and Parris could purposely manipulate women and instigated the public resentment to falsely accuse, and cruelly eliminate their enemies such as Rebecca and other accused witches. Certainly, the girls and women in the Putman and Parris’s families who made the false accusations of witches and witchcraft were wielded by
Mary Beth Norton (2002) explains that new accusations of witchcraft would spread beyond Salem’s outcasts and onto more respected members of society. Typically witchcraft was viewed as a working- class crime, but soon two upstanding Salem church members, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, were accused. Rebecca Nurse was one of six women tried during the Court of Oyer and Terminer’s second sitting, from June 28th to July 2nd. Her trial proved to be particularly shocking. Nurse was convicted despite a petition of support from thirty-nine friends and neighbors, and active family efforts to discredit her accusers.
In Defense of Rebecca Nurse Your Majesties, Judge Corwin and Judge Hathorne, our defendant Rebecca Nurse, a highly respected member of the Salem community, has been wrongly accused of practicing witchcraft. We believe that these profound accusations against, the honest and trustworthy, Rebecca Nurse were fabricated by those who are trying to cause harm to the Nurse family. This accusation of practicing witchcraft is serious and is not to be taken lightly. A warrant for the arrest of Rebecca Nurse was issued on March 24, 1692 (Salem Witch Trials Notable Persons). This warrant was issued due to the Putnams accusation that our defendant practices witchcraft.
In the reading “The Devil in the Shape of a Women, Witchcraft in Colonial New England,” by Carol F. Karlsen reveals the social constructions the people from New England had about witchcraft during the seventeenth century and the gender relationship amongst its people. Karlsen address the Salem Witch Trials and the large number of “witchcraft cases” that arose due to such beliefs. She focuses on the females who were accused of being witches in colonial New England and discusses the role and the position of women in the Puritan society. During the seventeenth century, sex was seen as an act of impureness, even among married couples sex was seen as an illicit behavior.
Salem Puritans accused women of witchcraft, in order to oppress women, and as a reaction to greed and religious fear. The Salem Witch Trials were motivated by the oppression of women. Puritan women could not own land. Women were told to keep quiet and stay in their place.
The 1600s were a very religious and superstitious time. People’s faith in God was strong, however it also brought them great fear of devil. It was easy to accuse anyone who did not follow social standards of conspiring with the devil and practicing witchcraft. Once somebody had been accused of being a witch mass hysteria and panic ensued.
In Document B, Demos presents that most of the accusers of witches were single females in their younger years of age. In the late 1600s, women were extremely dependent upon men for their financial stability, overall safety, and mental/emotional well being. In an interpretation of this document, it can be assumed that these younger female women were seeking family ties and protection in a harsher time period. On the same hand, Document C, a most likely extremely biased account, recounts the “bewitched actions” of Bridget Bishop, a witch, upon the afflicted. Samuel Parris, the examiner of Bishop, seems to shed a negative light on Bishop.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 marked a dark history in New England, filled with widespread terror, panic, and death caused by the ignorance of the mass that was blinded by their religious beliefs to clearly see the truth behind the dark charade. Suspicion arose in Salem that the devil was upon the puritan community to wreak havoc and destruction when two girls were supposedly victims of the Devil’s work. As a result, many innocent people who were accused of witchcraft and compacting with the devil were rounded to be put on trial for false claims orchestrated by people in the community with ulterior motives. Nineteen people were hanged and an addition thirteen people died in prison awaiting trial and execution. The trials came to an end
It is through her reputation and vast experience that the town of Salem looks to Rebecca for local guidance. Her importance in the town goes beyond just problem solving and providing sympathy as she is also looked on upon as an upholding, role model citizen. This is mentioned a number of times by several people, but Hale puts in his reaction to Rebecca’s wrongful conviction: “Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning” (Miller 858). To have someone outside of Salem make such a remark about Rebecca’s conviction speaks volumes in regards to her character.
Carol Karlsen 's The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England provides a sociological and anthropological examination of the witchcraft trends in early New England. By examining the records, Karlsen has created what she suggests was the clichéd 'witch ' based on income, age, marital status, etc. She argues that women who had inherited or stood to inherit fairly large amounts of property or land were at particular risk, as they "stood in the way of the orderly transmission of property from one generation of males to the next." These women, Karlsen suggests, were targeted largely because they refused to accept "their place" in colonial society.
My theory of the Salem Witch trials is quite simple. I believe that these trials were fueled by panic, stress, and rumor. I say rumor, due to the fact that young, adolecent girls usually seem to spread the word a lot. Girls followed strict rules withtin their religion, as well as boys, BUT, girls were usually tending to the house. They never got outside, as boys did to hunt, and explore the outdoors, as written in Evidence Set C: Puritan Children.
In this Puritan society morals are the most important of all. You had to go to church every day and you had to obey the minister’s words like it was gods. Those accused of witchcraft are assumed to be associated with the devil. One of the more religious persons accused such as Rebecca Nurse was accused and put to death on account of being associated with
Much of what happens in Salem still resembles some things we see in society today. The word of one man can change people’s ideas and images of another without conclusive evidence. What people fear the most can sometimes bind us together, even if it is not
Bridget Bishop, a resident of Salem, was the first person to be tried as a witch. Surprisingly, Bishop was accused of witch craft by the highest number of witneses. After Bishop, more than two hundred people were tried of practicing witchcraft and twenty were executed. Many of these accusations arose from jealous, lower class members of society, especially towards women who had come into a great deal of land or wealth. Three young children by the names of Elizabeth, Abigail, and Ann were the first three people to be “harmed” by the witches.
Gender roles played a heavy role in colonial society, and the women who did not conform to these roles were easy targets for witchcraft accusations. Women who were post-menopausal, widowed, unmarried were not fulling their “duty” to society of bearing children and thus could come under fire (Lecture.) Those who were aggressive, out spoken, or did not do as another wished could also bring cries of “witch!” (Lecture.) This is highlighted in Cotton Mather’s Accounts of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, one of these accused women Susana Martin stands trial with many of the testifiers being men who had been wronged by Martin in some way or another.
Later, Francis, her husband, even describes Rebecca as being “the very brick and mortar of the church” (Act 2). This representation of Rebecca’s overall life foreshadows the dreadful outcome she experiences even though she was a highly regarded citizen. It can be surmised that something deep, dark, and powerful was at fault for the accusation of Rebecca as a witch. That something was the scheming Putnam family who used the unfair justice system of the Puritan